New-Tech Europe | March 2017 | Digital Edition

Real-time radar target generation

Dr. Steffen Heuel, Darren McCarthy, Rohde & Schwarz

most recent additions to the PMA family are distinguished through their low noise performance over multi-octave bandwidths and high IP3 performance with low DC power consumption. Table 1 shows key performance parameters for selected models in these amplifier families. Characterizing Amplifiers for Complex Waveforms Radar systems are used in an increasing variety of applications, as demand from autonomous land vehicles and airborne drones adds to existing usage in shipping, weather forecasting, air traffic control (ATC) radar and defence. The use of commercial off-the- shelf (COTS) test and measurement systems has become commonplace in characterising the radar system itself but it also offers advantages in the area that most interests radar

operators - target detection and tracking. Field testing is the traditional approach, but this can prove extremely time-consuming, complex and expensive, and may involve repeatable conditions that are difficult to configure. The alternative is to set up real-life radar test simulations that include many different types of targets and scenarios. In particular target generators need to simulate the range, radial velocity and size of the target, along with environmental factors such as for example precipitation. Radar calculates the range of a reflection from the time delay between transmission and reception. Doppler radars can also estimate the target radial velocity from the frequency shift of transmitted and received signal carrier frequency. Amplitude of the echo signal indicates the object’s size

Enhanced Mode GaAs PHEMT (E-PHEMT) based MMIC amplifiers provide users advantages in both broadband noise figure and intermodulation performance, setting them apart from previous generations of GaAs amplifier designs. Historically known for their extremely low noise figure, PHEMTs have also been used extensively for power applications in the mobile PA market. Recent designs possess a combination of low noise and excellent suppression of intermodulation distortion, which improves both ends of the dynamic range over broad frequency range. Mini-Circuits lineup of low-noise, high-dynamic-range, MMIC amplifiers includes over 30 unique models in the PSA, PMA and PHA families. These are broadband, single stage, Class A, 50Ω MMIC amplifiers. All offer outstanding noise figure and intermodulation performance. The

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